Film Reviews by AER

Engrossing documentary about triplet brothers who were separated at birth and discovered each other in their late teens. What became of them after their initial flirtation with fame? Why were they separated? Why was the reason hidden from the families who adopted them? And what was the outcome? It's an interesting tale, although anybody that has studied psychology will know the outcome to this interesting documentary. Like all detective stories, the journey is as interesting as the destination, but its all about the reveal and this is good for one watch. A decent curio - but it has the page-turner qualities of a TV documentary, not a cinema feature. It's a headline grabber and not an education piece at the end of the day.

Moving story, an all too-human one. Recommended.

The makers of this film must enjoy being the big-budget underachievers they are. Paul WS Anderson is perhaps the worst script and story writer working at this level in Hollywood. All his high-concept movies are hilariously bad with zero characterisation or room for longeurs. Their MO is action, action, action until I fart. And in that respect Monster Hunter delivers, when it stops for breath it stinks. There is no plot logic or any real intelligence to any of this, but then I wasn't expecting any, but even for Paul WS Anderson and Milla Jovovich, this is very thin material. They didn't even write Tony Jaa's dialogue, he just mutters in an indecipherable dialect, and all the other people in the film got wiped out quickly (sometimes off-screen) pity Tip Harris, Meagan Good, and Diego Boneta - they have zero to do. Even luckier is Ron Perlman in one of his strangest roles as The Admiral. He looks like an aged version of a power ballad singer, and he really looks like he's would sooner be elsewhere. Monster Hunter is occasionally fun, it's not excruciating, but with a bit more effort this could have been really cool like Pitch Black or Starship Troopers.... I didn't think they made them like this for the cinema anymore!

Hilariously bad in every way.

2 out of 10

You won't see many dramas more predictable than FINDING YOUR WAY BACK, a small-scale vehicle for Ben Affleck's considerable talents. The actor impresses as an alcoholic given a shot at redemption when he is asked to coach a basketball team at his former school. Keeping a lid on his drinking becomes a problem when pressures mount from all sides. We learn about his back story, and there is a moving but expected reason behind Ben's initial decent into alcoholism, and it seems added on. There are a lot of people who slide into drinking without reason and this aspect made the film less convincing in some respects. It was solid and very well-acted, however, it was unadventurous and had difficulty distinguishing itself from lesser made issues movies. Almost.

5 out of 10

Drew Goddard's follow-up to The Cabin in the Woods is an interesting type of noir thriller that you don't see all that often anymore. There were a rash of these kind of films in the 90s after Tarantino made a splash, but since, there's not been that many. The set-up is very intriguing with each of the characters / caricatures selling their own mystery and reason for holeing up at a weird Reno hotel that straddles state lines. A shifty priest, a girl with a hostage, a soul singer, a vaccum cleaner salesman, a mysterious concierge, and a cult leader all combine. The set=up and dialogue is brilliant and the film is reasonably inventive within its confines until the arrival of a pretty unimaginative character. When Chris Hemsworth's Billy Lee turns up, the life seems to get sucked out of the film. It's not the actor's fault, it's just that the character lacks intelligence or invention, and as he essentially takes the whole cast hostage the film becomes his show for a long time. It's a shame because this had momentum and was great fun up until the 1:20 mark. However, it's very long and at 2 hr 15 mins, it leaves a lot of space near the end to fill up. At first, I was utterly hooked - but this had nowhere to go in the end. At least it was original (for these days) and very watchable.

6 out of 10

Like Derek Kolstad's creation John Wick, Nobody brings enough verve and originality to a solid action thriller. The USP for Nobody is the stunt casting that doesn't just end at the leading man's doorstep. Bob Odenkirk is nearly 60 and does some serious fight work, backed by subtle acting and some very humourous character beats. This is NOT True Lies, where everyone is surprised at the main characters' double life, all those closest to him seem to know his past. Picture an action equivalent of David Cronenberg's A History of Violence and you might get close to seeing this for what it is.

Nobody is a very violent, very enjoyable popcorn movie that doesn't change the world, but entertains in a very accomplished way. Look out for Michael Ironside, Christopher Lloyd, and The Rza. Please don't make a sequel, one is enough - don't ruin this good thing with tired universe expanding bollocks, just because the neighbours are doing it. I don't want to see John Wick team up with Hutch Mansell anytime soon. zzzz

7.5 out of 10

Just watched The Father, for which Anthony Hopkins won his second best actor Oscar. For me he's never been better than in this really moving piece of cinema.

I wasn't expecting much really, and saw it on a whim, but I'm so glad I did. It's merciless in its unsentimentality. It's too truthful, and more frightening than any horror film I'll see in a while.

Trust me, this was truly immersive and if you like Anthony Hopkins, I can only think of one other occasion he was close to being this good, and that was in The Remains of the Day. Olivia Williams and Olivia Colman were so good too. An intelligent yet very accessible drama. More like this please!

10 out of 10

That actors age and fade away is perhaps the only clue as to the age of a Jim Jarmusch film. His films never age and a film made last week could so easily have been made in 1989 and vice versa - his style never changes. It's a good job there's still people around to fund his brand of deadpan comedy, I for one have been a fan ever since I went to see Night On Earth at the cinema back in 1992, and Mystery Train is probably the closest in spirit to that film. Three interlinking stories revolving around a fleapit hotel in Memphis all involve Elvis Presley in some shape or form. The first two films are sublime exercises in comedy, however the third on drags and is let down by Joe Strummer's dodgy acting. Fans of Jarmusch knwo what to expect, slow pace, cool character beats and magic in the mundane. The international cast of actors and musicians are so impressive. This is Top 5 Jarmusch for me. Also see Lovers Left Alive, Dead Man, Ghost Dog, and Patterson.

Fast-paced sequel, that like most follow-ups seems redundant storywise. There's not much time for mourning as this film picks up directly after the last one finished, and we're pretty much straight into the action. Putting the 'sound monsters' into a more prominent position, it's a miracle that there's any tension left to dispense but fortunately there is. This time the central family are looking for refuge after their home is destroyed at the end of the first film, but much of what is introduced has been seen in other films/TV shows like The Road, The Walking Dead, Oblivion. It's Millicent Simmonds deaf child, who is once more, the main reason to buy a ticket, it's her bravery and invention that saves the day again and again. Cillian Murphy's new male lead is little more than a cipher, and Djimon Hounsou is even more wasted in a thankless role close to the end. A Quiet Place and this sequel are elevated from the dreck by good performances and good set-pieces. With it's unique position to give some sheen to the horror genre, it should have been less predictable and brought a few new ideas of its own to the party.

However, it was action-packed, scary, and it made me root for the main characters. So, in the main, it was a cool time killer.

Stuber was the funniest American comedy I've seen in a very long time. It hardly breaks new ground but it had a lot of energy, set-pieces and inventive one-liners to keep me glued. I can't even remember adding this to my Cinema Paradiso list as the last few comedies I've rented like The Longshot, Blockers, and Tag have all been really, really poor. Temporarily short-sighted cop teams up with a Pakistani-American uber driver to track down a drug dealer with hilarious results. The action isn't too shoddy either, although the big bad played by The Raid's Iko Uwais is completely wasted, he's in two fight scenes (on great / one so-so) and a car chase, and has no character and about two lines of dialogue. Dave Bautista and Kumail Nanjiani are great together exchanging a lot of withering putdowns.

Stupid, instantly disposable, but for my money, it's the best 'new' comedy I've seen in a very, very long time. 4 out of 5 for doing what it came to do, make me laugh.

I don't know how Almodovar makes light work of really dense material - there's always something of the daytime soap opera about his films and Live Flesh is no different (with added sex/nudity). Live Flesh never comes to life though, each of the characters are propelled through a narrative that has no engine or makes any sense to the rational viewer. I'm not a fan of Almodovar, but I've seen quite a few of his films and I will say that he is getting better and better. It was interesting to see Javier Bardem in an early role, look out for his real-life mother in early scenes (Pilar Bardem). Based on a pulpy novel by Ruth Rendell, this is full of murder and intrigue but it hops along at fast pace without delving into the characters at all, leaving it without substance and altogether forgettable and stupid.

I think Angelina Jolie made somebody a promise back in 1998 that she'd make their movie as this is a real throwback to the type of thrillers that used to come out every week. With a well-established plot that throws in a few very light variations on the road to predictability, nobody is going to remember this film and that's a shame. Scripted and directed by Taylor Sheridan who made 'Wind River', and wrote 'Sicario' and 'To Hell and High Water' this is a comparatively weak brew. Everybody acts well, but the script is old hat, full of plot holes and just serves to remind you that they don't make films quite as corny as this anymore. Aiden Gillen and Nicholas Hoult's hitmen were the most interesting characters, yet nobody here is developed all that well beyond the lightest of sketches. If you are hankering for 90s films starring Val Kilmer, Sandra Bullock or Denzel Washington in the lead roles, then 'Those Who Wish Me Dead' is an old school treat. Otherwise, this failed to turn up the heat.

Engrossing film about a fractured family who come together to help their taciturn patriarch realise a long held dream. Long, involving scenes with lots of dialogue are emblematic of this director's films (see Mekhtoub My Love / Blue is the Warmeest Colour) and Couscous is no different. Only one scene needed the editor to chop it, but ultimately the long scenes do this story a good service. It's interesting how food can bring people together and serve as a metaphor for family dynamics in film. The ending is worth sticking around for. Recommended - ignore the review that moans on about 'dry couscous'.

Eloquent, poetic and moving, Nomadland isn't a romantic depiction of life on the road, it's tough. However, this film reminds us all that we have to recognise who we are and what we want from life. It's unsentimental yet very persuasive and sad. 10 out of 10.

This portrait of a man trapped by circumstance failed to move me because the lead character seems shell-shocked, or is badly acted. I can appreciate a good character piece but this felt hard to get into. It makes sense that the main character doesn't engage much with his customers, he tries to be alone whilst nursing great pain. However, it never once sprang to life and could have been more compelling if the tow lead male actors had shown a bit more verve. It's well filmed and plotted, however, it relies to heavily on actors that just have no power or presence.

This is for fans of Yorkshire cinema. If you loved The Selfish Giant and Kes, Catch Me Daddy will make a very good impression on you. It’s a stark reminder that there are divides in British society that are unsurpassable and no matter what we do human nature sabotages everything. This is a blistering portrayal of young love at a dangerous cost to all. Two rival teams of bounty hunters are looking for a couple, one Asian, Laila (SAMEENA JABEEN AHMED) and one Scottish, Tony (CONOR MCCARRON – NEDS). Laila’s Muslim family want her to return home, and they also want to kill Tony. They believe she has brough dishonour to the family. Also on their trail are two white trackers, Barry (BARRY NUNNEY) and Gary (GARY LEWIS – ORPHANS) and four Asian guys (Anwar Hussain, Ali Ahmad, Adrian Hussain, Shoby Kaman). Things are complicated when Laila causes the death of one of their pursuers. What goes from a simple extraction gets quickly complicated as the situation gets beyond anybody’s control.

Coming on like a Western, this concerns infamous honour killings and it is a brutal watch, elevated by excellent performances, superb cinematography, and an expemplary soundtrack too. The cast (mainly one-timers) and the script is flawless making this one of the most vital British films of the 2010s. It makes the similar and very poor Honour look like child’s play.

I write this review in 2019, I’ve seen this film twice now. Why hasn’t anybody given the Wolfe Brothers the money to make another film?

9 out of 10 – Classic modern British cinema. A nigh on perfect film for those with a strong stomach. Be brave, it’s a difficult watch but well-worth the effort. Chilling, brilliant and unmissable.